MC News

Work of MC faculty Gombert, Hall featured in juried Appalachian-region art exhibition

September 22, 2003
David Rasnake, Communications Assistant

The artwork of two Maryville College faculty members was recently selected for display in the 2003 Appalachian Corridors: Juried Exhibition. Dr. Carl Gombert, associate professor of art, and Fine Arts Division Chair Mark Hall both had works selected for the exhibit, currently on display at the Avampato Discovery Museum in Charleston, W.Va.

Began in 1968, the Appalachian Corridors exhibition features original artwork from artists residing in the Appalachian region, which encompasses 406 counties in 13 states stretching from Mississippi to New York. The show, which covers more than 9,000 square feet of gallery space, is the largest regional exhibition in the nation.

In selecting pieces for the exhibit, juror and noted art critic Eleanor Heartney surveyed 1,075 pieces of art from 563 artists. Works by Gombert and Hall were among only 172 selected for the exhibit.

Gombert’s “Family Resemblance,” a series of large portrait paintings, was selected for inclusion in the Appalachian Corridors exhibit, as was a wood engraving by Hall, entitled “Middle Earth.” Additionally, Gombert was furthered honored at the event, with “Family Resemblance” winning second place overall in the exhibit and earning the artist $3,000.

“What’s great about this exhibit is the incredible imagination of the artists who inventively manipulated a plethora of traditional and non-traditional materials to express their ideas about themselves or their cultural environment. Eleanor [Heartney] brought cohesion and a singular sensibility in selecting the work,” said Ric Ambrose, deputy director of exhibits and curator of art.

The Appalachian Corridors exhibition is scheduled to run through Nov. 16.